Is Emotional Intelligence the Key to the Future?

Experts believe that Artificial intelligence will in the near-future take the place of humans in the workplace. Why? Because machines are more efficient, less distracted, obey instructions, and always stay focused on the task until completed! In facts, Robotics Tomorrow predicts that there is an excellent chance that Artificial Intelligence will outperform humans in most […]

Experts believe that Artificial
intelligence will in the near-future take the place of humans in the workplace.
Why? Because machines are more efficient, less distracted, obey instructions,
and always stay focused on the task until completed! In facts, Robotics
Tomorrow predicts that there is an excellent chance that Artificial
Intelligence will outperform humans in most mental tasks.

Fortunately, employers aren’t looking
forward to replacing you with robots. At least, not anytime soon. However, they
are looking for something more from people they are recruiting. Employers pay
attention to researchers in order to get the most efficient skills necessary.
Nowadays, they are no longer interested in how many certificates you have or if
you attended an Ivy League schools. In fact, what makes you valuable at work
nowadays is not your education, not your business skills, and not even your
expertise but your emotional intelligence. Employers are looking for people who
not only have the job skills but also soft skills such as empathy, ability to
work with others, and integrity.

What
is Emotional Intelligence?

For many people, emotional intelligence is a new concept. In fact, there is a good chance that this is the first time you are hearing about emotional intelligence, also known as “Emotional Quotient or EQ”. If you are wondering what it means, it is simply being able to have the ability to monitor your own emotions as well as the emotions of other people around you and be able to distinguish between various emotions and label them correctly. Emotional intelligence also involves using emotional information to guide thinking and even influence or control the decision of others.

EQ
Vs. IQ: Is Emotional Intelligence Same Thing As IQ?

No! Most people are used to cognitive intelligence (IQ). Unfortunately, this is not the same thing as emotional intelligence. Cognitive intelligence is the ability to handle reasoning, solving problems, applying tricks think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. On the other hand, emotional intelligence deals with emotions and the ability to handle your own emotions and that of others very well.

Why
Is Emotional Intelligence Key to the Future?

If
you already have a high IQ, why do you need to get high EQ?
This is one questions most people are asking in the recent years. The truth is
that your intelligence is not enough to stay relevant into the future workplace
especially with our technology evolving at such tremendous speed. Take, for
instance, somebody who is good at analyzing data can be easily replaced by
machines. Machines can be thought to do certain works more efficiently and even
faster, thereby replacing you easily, even with your high IQ.

However, there are certain things machines
cannot replace. The most important among them is a meaningful human connection.
This makes Emotional Intelligence one of the most valuable skills an employee
could have in the future because it makes you stay highly relevant. Moreover,
with EQ, you can create a positive working atmosphere. According to a study by Stress.org,
a positive environment can boost workplace creativity and productivity. It is
easier to take risks when you feel safe.

Experts believe that it is unlikely for
someone to grow and learn in the working atmosphere of distrust. Emotional
intelligence helps to create a positive working atmosphere that makes it easier
for employees to think creatively, innovate, and contribute to the growth of
the organization. A good example of a leader with emotional intelligence is
Elon Musk. In one of his email
to his Tesla Employees, he urged them to step down from their
pedestal and connect emotionally with their target customers. In his words “You cannot buy anything from a man
just because of his fancy suits. You buy only from people you trust and feel
safe with”.

Other reasons why you need to cultivate
and grow your Emotional Intelligence:

1.
Social Skills

Emotional intelligence allows you to grow
your social skills. This makes it easier to connect with people and communicate
in a clear, concise, and courteous manner.

2.
Self-Awareness

Self-awareness simply means that you have mastered your emotions. In order to cultivate self-awareness, it is important that you learn to recognize your own emotional states and how they influence your decisions and actions.

3.
Empathy

In Elon Musk’s email to his employees, he
urged them to share in the struggle and challenges of their customers. With
emotional intelligence, you will be able to recognize how and why people feel
the way they do. This will help you in making important marketing decisions.

4.
Emotional Regulations

People have taken actions because of
strong emotions they feel at that time and later regretted such actions. With
emotional intelligence, you will learn how to regulate your emotions. You will
also learn how to reduce negatives feelings and improve your self-confidence.
When you stop letting your emotions to cloud your judgments, you will make
better and more efficient decisions.

Final
Words

Emotional intelligence can do wonders for
your business. Take a look at top business owners around the world such as Bill
Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and more. They all have one thing in common
– “Emotional Intelligence”. These corporations, despite their
multi-billion dollar investments in AI, continue to train their employees on
improving their emotional intelligence. In the future, leaders in the workplace
won’t be the only one expected to have emotional intelligence. It will become
very essential to stay relevant in the world environment. Thus, now is the best
time to follow others that are asking “what is
emotional intelligence?” and learn this skill and how it can help
you to grow and be ready for the future.

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